Gov. Murphy bringing hope to displaced Puerto Ricans in New Jersey

“There is a purity in catastrophe. We see firsthand the nature of both human courage and human frailty, the destructive and arbitrary power of the elements, the breakdown of social restraint and of our mechanical inventions… It is under these circumstances that we discover who we are, for good or bad.” – James Lee Burke: Robicheaux

In a telephone conversation this afternoon with the commission’s Chair Rev. Joshua Rodriguez (Pastor, Cityline Church & National Latino Evangelical Coalition), he said that through the governor’s office it was just determined that the most recent number of displaced Puerto Ricans in NJ has reached 60,000, double the 30,000 recently reported. Rev. Rodriguez hopes to streamline services to these individuals in need with a single office and State-wide 1-800 number that will direct them to such specific agencies as housing, healthcare, public education for children and other social services.

With the federal government’s FEMA starting to reduce its services, another goal Rodriguez says is to solicit volunteer attorneys to help Puerto Ricans understand our laws/regulation and to file appeals when necessary. He mentioned that Ralph Izzo, CEO of PSE&G, has been seeking workers to help with PR’s electrical grid which just suffered another blow reducing substantially output to the island. Rev. Rodriguez expects the state’s effort to be more in human resources than new dollars and that private interests and non-profits will get more involved.

Another commission member Arlene Quiñones Perez (Partner, DeCotiis & former President of Hispanic Bar Association) told me, “Puerto Rico continues to deal with the aftermath from two devastating hurricanes. Thank you Governor Murphy for assisting Americans coming from Puerto Rico to move forward with their lives. Moving a family can be taxing at the best of times, but when families must leave a dire situation without the necessary resources, having a State to welcome you and provide guidance can mean all the difference.”

Comment (1)

Bill Orr(Post author)February 13, 2018 at 5:02 pm

Yet another commissioner, Lydia Valencia (CEO, NJ Puerto Rican Congress), tells me that while restoring the Island itself is a multi-year problem, she is “proud of our forward looking governor for his aid. Helping people, particularly those with a language barrier, is so important.”